Fire-escape.



No. 703,546. Patented sp. "9; i902* c. J. HAGGSTRUM.

FIRE ESCAPE.

(Application filed Feb. 3. 1902.) (No Model.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE,

CHARLES J. IIAGGSTROM, OF WARREN, PENNSYLVANIA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 708,546, dated September 9, 1902. Application filed February 3f 1902. Serial No. 92,363. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. HAGGSTROM, acitizen of the United States, residing at Warren, in the county of Warren and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to fire-escapes or, in fact, toa machine for lowering any objects from a height at an even rate of speed.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character which shall be simple of construction, durable in use, comparativelyinexpensive of production, and efficient in operation.

With this and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a View of the machine, showing it secured to the wall of a building above the window thereof; and Fig. 2 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawings,1 denotes a frame which is adapted to be secured over the Window and is provided with bearings 2, in which is journaled a shaft 3. t denotes a disk arranged concentrically with said shaft and through which the shaft preferably extends. 5- and 6 denote drums fixed to said shaft, and 7 and 8 denote guide-pulleys for guiding the ropes to and from said drums. The ropes are arranged upon said' drums so that when one rope is unwin'ding from one drum the other rope will be wound upon the other drum, whereby when a load is placed at the end of that rope which is wound upon the drum and the load descends the act of unwinding this drum will wind the other drum, so that a load may be applied to the rope carried by that drum.

It is of course desirable that the limit of descent of the weight be controlled, and this is accomplished by fixing to the shaft a spider l1, having notches 12 in its arms, in which are pivoted levers 13, having pivoted to their upper ends shoes 14., which are adapted to engage the disk and control the movement of the shaft. The opposite ends of these levers are provided with weights 15, which are made adjustable the length of said levers by pins 16, inserted through longitudinal rows of apertures 17, formed in said levers. This adjustment is particularly desirable where the weight of the load is Well known, and thereby enables me to control the lowering of the load-for instance, in lowering bales of hay or barrels or any article of merchandise from a storeroom after the Weight has been ascertained. These Weights may be set so as to exert a certain amount of friction, so as to regulate the frictional contact of the shoes against the disk. The ropes 9 and l0 may be provided with any suitable means for attaching them to the Weight or object to be lowered, and as these means in themselves form no part of the invention I have not deemed it necessary to show and describe the same.

From the foregoing description,` taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, mode of operation, and advantages of the invention Will be readily understood without requiring an extended eX- planation.

Assuming that the building is on fire and the occupant of the room over the Window of which a fire-escape of this construction is placed desires to escape, he secures the free end of the wound rope around his body and jumps out. The drum to which this rope is attached unwinding will cause the spider to be rotated, and by centrifugal action the shoes at the ends of the levers will be forced against the periphery of the disk and regulate the descent of the person. When he reaches the ground, the other rope will have been wound up and will be in position for another person to grasp and lower himself by.

Various changes in -the form, proportion, and details of construction may be made Within the scope of the invention Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof'.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by `Letters Patent, is-

In a fire-escape, the combination with a IOO frame provided with bearings; of a shaft journaled in said bearings and carrying at its lower end two drums, guide-pulleys secured to said frame, ropes reversely wound around said drums and having their ends pendent from said pulleys, a spider xed to the upper end of said shaft to turn therewith, a relatively stationary friction-disk, levers pivoted intermediate their ends to said spider, brakeshoes carried at the upper ends of said levers for frictional contact with said disk, and

weights vertically adjustably connected to the lower ends of said levers, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 15 my hand in presence of two subscribing witmesses.

CHARLES Jn HAGGSTROM.

Witnesses:

JOHN AHLGREN, G. C. SwANsoN. 

